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SELENOPLEXIA
Agony EP

Self-released (2022)
Rating: 7/10

Agony is the debut EP from this Chicago, Illinois-based band and the quartet brings an interesting mix of black thrash, death metal and even hardcore at times. The real versatility within this outfit emerges through the pipes of Courtney Vida who for the most part delivers a rasping, scratchy aggression while occasionally drifting towards a throaty bellow. This is interesting stuff but I wouldn’t go as far to pigeon-hole Selenoplexia as “blackened death metal” as it’s too restrictive, even though the dynamics are of that ilk.

From opening track ‘Liminal Dread’ to closer ‘Heathen Rite’ there’s an almost punky vibrancy despite the obvious clashes between the striking black metal aesthetics and deathlier chugs. The axe work of Daniel Vida is flexible enough to give the band a contemporary hardcore slant; it’s often rough, fast and volatile but there are always numerous tempo shifts which really engage the listener. However, those apparent drops never reach a crushing death metal aesthetic, and instead there’s something else going on like in the melodious streaks of ‘I Have Already Begun To Decompose’ which, whilst having its slow, nasty chugs, feels too edgy and zippy to be deemed death metal.

I hope, dear reader, you understand what I’m trying to put across here as the four-piece shifts at times into an almost industrial abrasiveness while also being happy to flirt with sludgier premises, but that’s what makes the EP so riveting. A track such as ‘Satyr’ feels sort of doomy initially where the bass of Sawyer Fridel rattles nicely in tandem with the drums of Jonathan Morhaim. There’s some interesting harshness throughout this EP, more so when Courtney goes on the rampage and stretches her larynx to hostile squawks, but even then I’m hesitant to call it black metal.

Agony is a good little EP with some very destructive and jagged moments which really slam hard into the ears as deep, hardened grooves of malice. It’s definitely worth the entrance fee.

Neil Arnold

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